

High Functioning
Overcome Your Hidden Depression and Reclaim Your Joy
Author: Judith Joseph, Mel Robbins
Narrator: Judith Joseph, Mel Robbins
Unabridged: 6 hr 57 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Little, Brown Spark
Published: 04/08/2025
Categories: Nonfiction, Self-help, Personal Growth, Psychology, Emotions
Synopsis
Many of us experience periods in our lives when something feels “off”: when we struggle to find joy in happy moments, and take little pleasure in things we used to enjoy. We might be motivated and productive at work, pulling our weight at home, and conducting a normal social life—but behind that façade we are barely surviving, and certainly not thriving.
We're all familiar with what depression can look like, but there's another, lesser‑known face to this illness. High functioning depression (HFD) doesn't conform to the image of depression that typically comes to mind. As a result, people with HFD often have no idea why they are suffering, or what to do about it.
In High Functioning, Dr. Judith Joseph reveals that what we’re feeling is not simply “negativity” or stress. Drawing on original research, client cases, and her personal experience with HFD, Dr. Judith radically shifts the way those of us with HFD see ourselves, and empowers us with five simple tools to reclaim our lives from this widespread yet poorly understood condition.
By following her 5 V's - validation, venting, values, vision, and vitals - we can wake up happier, find more satisfaction in our relationships, and feel better in the present while also looking forward to the future.